Embroidered Denim Jacket

Today I am blogging about one of my off the books projects.  Now and then I work have more than one project going at one time.  Some projects take so long, that blogging about them regularly would be about as interesting as watching paint dry.  So I only blog on those projects when I reach a significant milestone.  The embroidered denim project is one such project. 

I posted on this jacket after I completed the embroidery of the bottom and cuffs of the jacket with pansies.  The next time I blogged on it I had completed the first panel on each side of the front of the jacket.  Those two panels were embroidered with Morning Glories.  I have now completed the second panel on each side of the front of the jacket.  I am not sure exactly what flowers that these panels represent.  They are a more stylized flowers.  I guess the colors look something like Marigolds, although Marigolds are not climbing plants.  Consider it artistic license. 

This project has been ongoing for a long time.  I started this project because I had a denim jacket that I rarely wore because it was so plain.  I though that a little embroidery would spice it up. I did the bottom and cuffs and called it quits for quite a while.  Hand sewing through so many layers of denim was very hard on the hands.  The jacket still looked plain to me after that segment was completed, so I decided to bite the bullet and go ahead and do some more embroidery.  The panels are not as heavy as the other areas because I only had to sew through one layer of denim.

I cannot tell you how many hours have been put into this jacket.  I sew about two hours on the jacket on Monday through Thursday, with an additional two hours on Thursday afternoon, when I meet up with some quilters and crafters.  So for the four panels on the front of the jacket I figure roughly ten hours a week since the beginning of March.  That would be one hundred and forty hours.  I have forgotten how long it took to complete the bottom and cuffs, but roughly the same amount of time. 

Consider what this jacket would have cost if I was being paid minimum wage for it.  ($7.25 an hour where I live, so about $2,016.00 so far and it is not finished yet.)  That is why people say that they do not get their money back for handwork items.  People might be willing to may $150.00 to $300.00 for it at most.  You just have to make something like this because you enjoy doing it. 

Anyway, the next section is completed, so enjoy the photos.  I will be blogging about the lamb on the next blog post.